Mojave National Preserve - hiking in Mojave National Preserve. (U.S. National Park Service)

Although there are few established hiking trails, abandoned dirt roads, washes, and ridge lines offer an abundance of cross-country hiking opportunities.

Numbers on the map correspond to hikes and routes listed below. Blue numbers indicate trails, red numbers, routes.

Developed Trails

1) Lake Tuendae Nature Trail - 0.25 miles roundtrip.
Trailhead: ZZyzx parking area, 4 miles south of I-15 on Zzyzx Road.
Stroll around Lake Tuendae and learn about its importance to the natural and cultural history of the area.

2) Teutonia Peak Trail - 4 miles round trip.
Trailhead: 12 miles south of I-15 or 6 miles north of Cima.
Explore this Joshua tree forest on the way to a rocky outcropping on Cima Dome.

3) Hole-in-the-Wall Nature Trail - O.5 miles round trip.
Trailhead: Hole-in-the-Wall Information Center and Campground.
Markers help novice botanists identify a variety of plants along this trail.

4) Rings Loop Trail - 0.5 mile round trip.
Trailhead: at the picnic area 0.2 miles northwest of the Hole-in-the-Wall Information Center. Connects to the Mid-Hills to Hole-in-the-Wall Trail.
According to an 1800s legend, Indians eluded ranchers as they descended down Banshee Canyon and disappeared from view. Now you can follow their footsteps with the help of metal rings mounted in the rock.

5) Mid Hills to Hole-in-the-Wall Trail - 8 miles one way.
Trailheads: The north end is at the entrance to Mid Hills Campground; the south end is about 1 mile west of Black Canyon Road on the south end of Wild Horse Canyon Road.
In June 2005, the Hackberry Fires swept through the area. Watch carefully for route markers as you ascend to 1,200 feet, hiking through washes of barrel and cholla cactus.

Recommended Routes
Warning: These routes are not established trails. Check a detailed map of the area or consult a park ranger for route information. Maps and guidebooks are available at park information centers.

6) Kelso Dunes - 3 miles roundtrip.
Trailhead: 3 miles west of Kelbaker Road on the Kelso Dunes Road. The road is sometimes rough with "washboard" in places, but does not require a 4X4 vehicle.
Early morning and late afternoon climbers will appredciate both the rose-colored glow of the dunes and cooler temperatures. The hike may take several hours as you slog through the sand, then slide down the slopes.
Moving sands sometimes create a "booming" sound- run downhill to get lots of sand moving if you want to hear the sound. More...

7) Quail Basin - about 5.5 miles round trip
Trailhead: Unmarked trailhead is 12.5 miles north of I-40 on Kelbaker Road, then 1 mile east on an unmarked dirt road. Park at the junction with the closed dirt road heading south. 4X4 recommended.
The route follows a series or abandoned dirt roads past granite jumbles, then loops around the perimiter of a grassy cove where barrel cactus and Mojave yucca grow. After walking around the cove, return via the same route.

8) Keystone Canyon - 3 miles one way.
Trailhead: Not marked. !8 miles south of Nipton Road on Ivanpah Road, then 2.5 miles east on an unmarked dirt road, bearing right as the road forks. Bear left at 2.5 miles then travel a short distance downhill to a parking area.4X4 recommended.

Hike the deteriorating closed road into Keystone Canyon up to near the top of the New Your Mountains.
Watch for pinyon pine, juniper, turbinella oak, and even a few white fir near the top of the ridge.

9) Caruthers Canyon - 3 miles one way.
Trailhead: Not marked. Route begins at primitive campsites in Caruthers Canyon, 5.5 miles west of Ivanpah Road on New York Mountains Road, then 2.7 miles on an unsigned dirt road. 4 x 4 recommended.
Hike through one of Mojave's most botanically diverse areas which boasts conifers, oaks and coastal chaparral plants, including manzanita, yerba santa, ceanothus and coffee berry.

10) Castle Peaks Corridor - 4 miles one way.
Trailhead: not marked. This is an isolated area that requires 15 miles of driving along rough dirt roads. The hike begins 4.9 miles east of Ivanpah Road on Hart Mine Road, then left at the the fork, continuing 0.9 miles, then left at the fork, continuing 3.4 miles, crossing an earthen berm; left at the fork continuing one mile to where the road ends. 4 x 4 recommended.
Walk up the closed road to the ridgetop and beyond to a small canyon.
The red rock spires of Castle Peaks are a striking contrast set against the shades of desert brown.

11) Piute Creek - 6.5 miles round trip.
Trailhead: No marked trailhead. Begin hiking 9.5 miles east of the junction of Lanfair Valley and Cedar Canyon Roads on a dirt utility road and continue north 0.5 miles. Return to your vehicle by following a now unused trace of the Mojave Road.

Fort Piute was one of five military outposts established to safeguard travelers along the Mojave road from tribal attacks. During the 1860's, the Mojave Road was an important corridor for mail delivery. Elliot Coues, a visitor to Fort Piute described it as "a Godforsaken Botany Bay of a place-the meanest I ever saw for a military station."